Warsaw Mayor Cancels Independence March Over 'Aggressive Nationalism'

The annual march in Poland's capital has seen violent incidents in past years, and Warsaw is already facing a police strike.

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The mayor of Warsaw is canceling an independence day march in the Polish capital in light of "aggressive nationalism."

Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz said she didn't want nationalists to mar celebrations on the 100th anniversary of Polish independence. Her announcement comes on the back of a police strike in the city, which prompted additional security concerns.

In response to the mayor's action, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced the national government would organize a separate march to mark the centennial.

Poland's government is dominated by the right-wing Law and Justice Party, which came to power in 2015 and has leaned into rising nationalist sentiment in the country. The party's purge of Poland's supreme court over the summer drew mass protests and was condemned by governments around the world.